tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68699152246000770292019-03-06T08:37:58.833-05:00Young & Valkenet Law LibraryMaryland lawyers with offices in Baltimore focused on complex civil and criminal litigation in the state and federal courts of Maryland and the District of Columbia.
TCValkenethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12813312103403186309noreply@blogger.comBlogger232125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869915224600077029.post-39134074440336471712019-03-06T08:37:00.001-05:002019-03-06T08:37:58.699-05:00Civil Litigation is a Roller Coaster!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FYoungValkenet%2Fvideos%2F390769198416209%2F&show_text=0&width=476" width="476" height="476" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowTransparency="true" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe> <br /></div>TCValkenethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12813312103403186309noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869915224600077029.post-46005098129482090712019-02-23T21:09:00.001-05:002019-02-23T21:09:20.838-05:00The February 22, 2019 Manafort District of Columbia sentencing memo<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Here is the Government's <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pPS8AMLH_0MMU-Ur2n2LC_pXs2Cah7Pl/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">February 22, 2019 sentencing memo f</a>or the case in the District of Columbia.<br /><br />And here are <a href="https://drive.google.com/open?id=1VNWRkcv--hqcETLaVg2bXGGsT5uZK2jm" target="_blank">the attachments.</a><br /><br />Don't rely on television, please read for yourself.</div>TCValkenethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12813312103403186309noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869915224600077029.post-85056648187342090092019-02-03T19:36:00.001-05:002019-02-03T19:36:56.674-05:00We help you live your best life.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><iframe src="https://www.linkedin.com/embed/feed/update/urn:li:ugcPost:6497984796889804800" height="425" width="504" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> <br /></div>TCValkenethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12813312103403186309noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869915224600077029.post-41019583566817787532018-10-07T09:43:00.002-04:002018-10-07T09:43:48.642-04:00Business leads to litigation.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FYoungValkenet%2Fvideos%2F1896356930452329%2F&show_text=0&width=560" width="560" height="315" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowTransparency="true" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe><br /></div>TCValkenethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12813312103403186309noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869915224600077029.post-27973282522224400472018-06-22T08:46:00.001-04:002018-06-22T08:47:20.704-04:00Let your lawyers be excellent.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/E4GOxKZZSJ4" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe> <br /></div>TCValkenethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12813312103403186309noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869915224600077029.post-40860848065613784892018-05-31T22:12:00.000-04:002018-05-31T22:55:46.574-04:00Pay when paid, or pay if paid? What's in your contract?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">General contractors rely on others to complete their work on behalf of an owner, including masons, electricians, iron workers and countless suppliers of wood, steel and equipment. Payment by an owner to the general contractor then cascades like a waterfall to all who have put labor and materials into the project.<br /><div><br /></div><div>Except when it doesn't.</div><div><br /></div><div>General contractors routinely include one of two types of payment provisions in contracts with sub-contractors and suppliers. The first is commonly called "pay-when-paid," and the second is called "pay-if-paid." Both clauses alter the traditional situation where a sub-contractor or materialman is entitled to immediate payment for delivery of work or product.</div><div><br /></div><div>On May 24, 2018 Maryland's highest appellate court decided <a href="https://www.courts.state.md.us/data/opinions/coa/2018/8a17.pdf" target="_blank">Young Electrical Contractors v. Dustin Construction,</a>&nbsp;which provides an excellent summary of the difference between the two provisions.&nbsp;</div><blockquote class="tr_bq">During the latter half of the twentieth century, general contractors began to include contingent payment provisions in their subcontracts. Although there apparently was no standard language, such a clause would typically provide that the general contractor was not obligated to pay the subcontractor until some specified number of days after the general contractor received payment under the prime contract from the owner of the project. Thus, for example, a window distributor that entered into a subcontract to supply windows for a project would not necessarily receive payment upon delivery of the windows, but would be required to await payment of the general contractor by the owner of the project</blockquote>As is explained by the Court of Appeals, this "pay-when-paid" provision does not excuse the obligation to pay a sub-contractor, only the timing of the payment. And so a sub-contractor that has completed all its contract requirements might have to wait some time to receive payment. In the real world, extended delays put real companies and real employees out of work. This type of provision forces sub-contractors and suppliers to finance a project, to a certain extent.<br /><br />A derivation of this clause says the sub-contractor or supplier will get paid if, and only if, the owner pays the general contractor. The "pay-if-paid" clause is a draconian provision (Draco was an ancient Greek politician who advocated that the most minor of infractions warranted the harshest punishment, usually death).&nbsp; A small contractor that does a superlative job can go out of business if payment disputes among the general contractor and the owner do not resolve. It is not hard to imagine smaller&nbsp; or marginally capitalized contractor having to withhold payroll for employees, miss loan payments, or simply go fishing.<br /><br />Where our Nation's economic recovery is thin, it is even more important for a sub-contractor to avoid the uncertainty of "pay-if-paid." Some jobs are simply not worth that risk.<br /><br />Do you know what's in your contract documents?<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vcCdIKXu8Mo/Wsfh_JMSANI/AAAAAAAABmo/j9-qE1XycRcVKZwMOZYhbc7-aR2EIPpGQCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/av-250-2018.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="74" data-original-width="250" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vcCdIKXu8Mo/Wsfh_JMSANI/AAAAAAAABmo/j9-qE1XycRcVKZwMOZYhbc7-aR2EIPpGQCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/av-250-2018.png" /></a></div><br /><br /></div>TCValkenethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12813312103403186309noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869915224600077029.post-64316469412778514402018-04-30T08:56:00.000-04:002018-04-30T08:56:39.840-04:00Make your opponent take notice.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tSo7vqYpQnU" width="560"></iframe> <br /><br /><br /></div>TCValkenethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12813312103403186309noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869915224600077029.post-30514293581455314132017-12-14T08:36:00.000-05:002017-12-14T09:00:54.819-05:00Contract forum selection clauses are generally enforceable in Maryland lawsuits.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Maryland's United States District Court reinforced long-standing law that a forum selection clause in a commercial agreement will be enforced absent fraud. It further held that broadly drafted language may include disputes that arose during the negotiation and formation of the contract.<br /><br />On November 7, 2017 Judge Blake decided <a href="http://02dea0b.netsolhost.com/WhiteOakcase.pdf" target="_blank">White Oak v. Alstom</a>, a contract dispute arising from the construction of a power generation facility in Maryland. The plaintiff sued for fraud and various pre-contract actions of the defendant. The contract made by the parties had a forum selection clause-- it stated that all disputes arising from and related to the contract must be litigated in the courts of Virginia.<br /><br />The plaintiff sued in Maryland's federal court, and the defendant made a motion to transfer based on the contract language.<br /><br />Judge Blake made a quick and clear analysis of the existing cases to reach her result-- the case would be transferred to Virginia.&nbsp; The plaintiff was stuck with the broadly worded clause that encompassed not just performance issues during the existence of the contract, but formation issues that pre-dated the existence of the contract. The plaintiff could not wedge the facts of the case into any exception to the general rule.<br /><br />Forum selection is an important issue that is often ignored when contracts are made by our clients before our involvement. Such language is often buried in the boilerplate of somebody's form agreement, and it is rarely negotiated unless a lawyer is involved. However, its operation can force an aggrieved party to litigate claims in a distant state, with application of unfamiliar procedures and substantive law. The White Oak plaintiff learned that filing in the wrong jurisdiction can also add thousands of dollars in legal fees to a claim.<br /><br />When negotiating your next agreement with an out-of-state entity, be mindful of forum selection language. A little bit of research will lead you to a much better informed decision before you sign the contract.</div>TCValkenethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12813312103403186309noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869915224600077029.post-13212511264218701152017-11-06T07:00:00.000-05:002017-11-06T07:53:22.676-05:00Maryland's Construction Trust Fund Statute has obvious limits.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-r9_ms6HAs-U/Wf9WCIIwA5I/AAAAAAAABjA/nNGXAEk_VUA_6QnqN8xfx5TYnpn4U0iRQCEwYBhgL/s1600/Valkenet-Headshot-e1504131526969.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="200" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-r9_ms6HAs-U/Wf9WCIIwA5I/AAAAAAAABjA/nNGXAEk_VUA_6QnqN8xfx5TYnpn4U0iRQCEwYBhgL/s200/Valkenet-Headshot-e1504131526969.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>We read almost all the cases published by Maryland's appellate courts, even the non-published ones. The non-published opinions cannot be cited as binding precedent in later cases, but they are important.&nbsp; A case is sometimes not formally reported because it confirms basic things Maryland lawyers know, or should know.<br /><br />The November 1, 2017 case entitled <a href="http://www.courts.state.md.us/opinions/cosa/2017/1307s16.pdf" target="_blank">C&amp;B v. Dashiell</a> is a good review of some basic construction law. The case began with a very familiar situation:&nbsp; A sub-contractor was not paid by a general contractor.<br /><br />The sub-contractor had worked on six different jobs for the general contractor, but had not been fully paid. The sub sued for over $200,000.&nbsp; As part of the lawsuit, the sub sued the owners of the general contractor, individually.<br /><br />Maryland's Construction Trust Fund Statute can impose personal liability on the owners of a general contractor where money paid on behalf of a sub-contractor's work is wrongly used. For instance, a GC might use money paid by the owner based on the subs pay application to pay down a bank line of credit, or mounting supplier accounts. The GC might direct the subs money to pay rent, the light bill, or taxes.&nbsp; The GC might also pay the subs money direct to individual owners to repay loans, or as salary and expense reimbursement. Just about all of this is improper.<br /><br />But the sub-contractor lost on its claims against the individual owners of the GC&nbsp; (after taking consent judgments against the GC corporate entity). The case was lost at trial, and lost again on appeal because the sub did not put on essential proof that the trust fund statute applied to this particular situation.<br /><br />The mere fact that the sub was owed over $200,000 over multiple projects did not automatically qualify the claim under the trust fund statute. The sub had to demonstrate that the work for which the money is owed either 1) arose from a public project covered by Maryland's Little Miller Act; or 2) arose from a private project for which a mechanic's lien could be taken.<br /><br />Why? Because the Maryland legislature put those limitations in the trust fund statute. In cases involving private construction projects you must put on proof that the work is lienable under the mechanic's lien statute before you may sustain claims under the trust fund statute for personal liability.<br /><br />The&nbsp; proof is not difficult-- It requires a demonstration that the total value of the project (and not just the unpaid balance sued upon) meets the percentage of value formula in the mechanic's lien statute:<br /><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">Every building erected and every building repaired, rebuilt, or improved <span style="color: red;">to the extent of 15 percent of its value is subject to establishment of a lien </span>in accordance with this subtitle for the payment of all debts, without regard to the amount, contracted&nbsp;&nbsp;for work done for or about the building and for materials furnished for or about the building, including the drilling and installation of wells to supply water, the construction or installation of any swimming pool or fencing, the sodding, seeding or planting in or about the premises of any shrubs, trees, plants, flowers or nursery products, the grading, filling, landscaping, and paving of the premises, the provision of building or landscape architectural services, engineering services, land surveying services, or interior design services that pertain to interior construction and are provided by a certified interior designer, and the leasing of equipment, with or without an operator, for use for or about the building or premises.</blockquote>&nbsp;This requires proof. The judge cannot speculate that because the amount sued upon is large that it must fall within the 15% rule. In this case, the $200,000 sum was not sufficient proof that the sub had a lienable claim, and thus it could not demonstrate standing to make claim against the individual owners of the GC under the trust fund statute.<br /><br />Your construction lawyer should know this.<br /><br /><br /></div>TCValkenethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12813312103403186309noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869915224600077029.post-39151670768816730132017-11-03T17:07:00.000-04:002017-11-03T17:08:06.916-04:00If you make a mistake and drive while intoxicated, we can help.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div> <iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FYoungValkenet%2Fvideos%2F1427170107381882%2F&show_text=0&width=560" width="560" height="315" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowTransparency="true" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe>TCValkenethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12813312103403186309noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869915224600077029.post-67258446211822944892017-10-19T14:39:00.000-04:002017-10-19T14:39:04.404-04:00Contracts shortening Maryland's Statute of Limitations are not always enforceable.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">You are free to make a contract that cuts short Maryland's Statute of Limitations. But it will not be automatically enforced against you.<br /><br />Most lawsuits for breach of contract and negligence must be filed in court within three years of a breach. There are many situations where the three year period can be delayed or temporarily stopped, but that is a topic for another article. This piece will focus on contract language that cuts a three year limitation period to something shorter, usually one year.<br /><br />Maryland will enforce contracts that cut back on your right to sue, from three years to something shorter. But a recent opinion from the highest appellate court makes clear that this contract term will not always be blindly enforced.<br /><br />In <a href="http://www.courts.state.md.us/opinions/coa/2017/85a16.pdf" target="_blank">Ceccone v. Carroll Home Services</a> the parties litigated this issue. A home repair company sought to block claims for damage to the homeowner's furnace caused by its neglect. The homeowner made a claim within one year of the breakage, but failed to file the lawsuit within that same one year period. The service company defended by simply asserting "you're too late."<br /><br />The trial court and the intermediate appellate court applied the long recognized Maryland law and enforced the shortened limitations as written in the contract. A judgment in favor of the home service company, which kicked the claim out of court, was affirmed. It took the homeowner's second level of appeal, to the <a href="http://mdcourts.gov/coappeals/" target="_blank">Maryland Court of Appeals</a>, to get the correct result.<br /><br />The highest Maryland court instructed that:<br /><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">A provision of a contract that purports to shorten this period of limitations will be enforced in Maryland only if (1) there is no controlling statute to the contrary; (2) the provision is not the result of fraud, duress, misrepresentation, or the like; and (3) the provision is reasonable. In assessing the reasonableness of such a provision, the court should make an explicit determination whether the provision is reasonable, considering a variety of factors, including the subject matter of the agreement, the degree to which the provision shortens the applicable period of limitations, the relative bargaining position of the parties, and whether the shortened period of limitations is one-sided or applies equally to the parties to the agreement.&nbsp;</blockquote>In the Ceccone case, the trial court did not weigh the three factors-- the judge just applied the contract language. The intermediate appellate court did a similar "rubber stamp" analysis to affirm the trial court. It did not matter that the contract only limited the homeowner to one year within which to file a lawsuit, while reserving to the service company all rights under the law.&nbsp;<br /><br />The Court of Appeals vacated the judgment in favor of the service company and sent the case back to the trial level for witness testimony and further consideration.&nbsp; The new trial date shown in the on-line docket is November 2, 2017, in the Circuit Court for Anne Arundel County.<br /><br />The surprising thing about the case is that the homeowners are representing themselves- only the service company has a lawyer--and the homeowners won the appeal after losing in two lower level courts. And even more surprising is that the case involves a dispute worth less than $4,000 and which has surely cost the service company many times more than the homeowner is claiming.<br /><br />Operating without a lawyer, Mr. and Mrs. Ceccone obtained a reported opinion that will become part of Maryland's body of jurisprudence. That is more than many, many lawyers can claim!<br /><br />As the Japanese proverb goes- "fall down seven times, but stand up eight." Kudos to Mr. and Mrs. Ceccone!&nbsp;</div>TCValkenethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12813312103403186309noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869915224600077029.post-65256694840097102692017-10-05T22:17:00.000-04:002017-10-05T22:36:12.199-04:00New Maryland foreclosure rules for abandoned or vacant properties.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="tr_bq">Lenders may now foreclose faster on abandoned or vacant &nbsp;Maryland residential properties.&nbsp;</div><br />S<a href="http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2017RS/Chapters_noln/CH_617_sb1033t.pdf" target="_blank">enate Bill 1033</a> went into effect on October 1, 2017. It provides a short-cut to the existing foreclosure rules that prevent a lender from initiating foreclosure until 90 days have elapsed from the triggering event.<br /><br />There must still be a triggering event, such as an extended failure to pay. But if the property is vacant or abandoned the lender may file a petition in the circuit court for permission to immediately foreclose without notice. The court is required to rule on the petition "promptly."<br /><br />The petition must include admissible evidence to demonstrate that the property is vacant or abandoned. How is that to be done? &nbsp;The lender must demonstrate any three of the following eleven factors (the capitalized language is lifted from the new law):<br /><blockquote><br />(1) GAS, ELECTRIC, SEWER, OR WATER UTILITY SERVICES TO THE PROPERTY HAVE BEEN DISCONNECTED;<br />(2) WINDOWS OR ENTRANCES TO THE STRUCTURE ON THE PROPERTY ARE BOARDED UP OR CLOSED OFF, OR MULTIPLE WINDOW PANES ARE BROKEN AND UNREPAIRED;<br />(3) DOORS TO THE STRUCTURE ON THE PROPERTY ARE SMASHED THROUGH, BROKEN OFF, UNHINGED, OR CONTINUOUSLY UNLOCKED;<br />(4) JUNK, LITTER, TRASH, DEBRIS, OR HAZARDOUS, NOXIOUS, OR UNHEALTHY SUBSTANCES OR MATERIALS HAVE ACCUMULATED ON THE PROPERTY;<br />(5) FURNISHINGS, WINDOW TREATMENTS, OR PERSONAL ITEMS ARE ABSENT FROM THE STRUCTURE ON THE PROPERTY;<br />(6) THE PROPERTY IS THE OBJECT OF VANDALISM, LOITERING, OR CRIMINAL CONDUCT, OR THERE HAS BEEN PHYSICAL DESTRUCTION OR DETERIORATION OF THE PROPERTY;<br />(7) A MORTGAGOR OR GRANTOR HAS MADE A WRITTEN STATEMENT EXPRESSING THE INTENTION OF ALL MORTGAGORS OR GRANTORS TO ABANDON THE PROPERTY;<br />(8) THERE IS A DETERMINATION THAT NO OWNER OR TENANT APPEARS TO BE RESIDING ON THE PROPERTY AT THE TIME OF AN INSPECTION OF THE PROPERTY BY:<br />&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;(I) THE THE SECURED PARTY; OR<br />&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;(II) AN APPROPRIATE OFFICIAL OF THE COUNTY OR MUNICIPAL CORPORATION IN WHICH THE PROPERTY IS LOCATED;<br />&nbsp;(9) TWO OR MORE CITATIONS HAVE BEEN ISSUED BY A COUNTY OR MUNICIPAL CORPORATION AGAINST THE PROPERTY FOR FAILURE TO MAINTAIN THE PROPERTY AND A HEALTH AND SAFETY ISSUE EXISTS THAT HAS NOT BEEN RECTIFIED;<br />(10) THE PROPERTY HAS BEEN CONDEMNED BY A COUNTY OR MUNICIPAL CORPORATION; OR<br />(11) OTHER REASONABLE INDICIA OF ABANDONMENT EXIST.</blockquote>As you can see, there is a lot to pick from, and each alleged "fact" is an opportunity for dispute at the court's "prompt" hearing. The borrower has an opportunity under the new rule to deny the alleged facts supporting the petition. What is not clear is whether a borrower can be given the opportunity to cure the conditions on which the petition is based (in addition to bringing the loan current), and thus render the petition moot or premature.<br /><br />But shortening the process for foreclosure on vacants may not be enough to entice lenders to execute on recorded liens. Lenders may continue the practice of electing a breach of contract action against the borrower in order to obtain a money judgment. It is the business practice of some lenders to seek court judgment against the borrower on the underlying promissory note, while leaving the recorded lien intact as a cloud on title. This practice makes it even less likely that a vacant or abandoned property will be recycled to productive use. The new rule does nothing to remove this choice from the lender--- a bank cannot be forced to foreclose, even if the borrower is delinquent, and especially if the property is abandoned or vacant.<br /><br />Do you need to file or defend such a petition? Fill out our contact form on this page and let's discuss your case.<br /><br /><br /></div>TCValkenethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12813312103403186309noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869915224600077029.post-58496816642739726442017-10-03T14:13:00.005-04:002017-10-03T14:13:48.969-04:00Maryland's Justice Reinvestment Act opens door to sentence reconsideration for many drug convicts.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; margin-bottom: 6px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">With the newly enacted <a href="http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/webmga/frmMain.aspx?pid=billpage&amp;stab=01&amp;id=HB1418&amp;tab=subject3&amp;ys=2017rs" target="_blank">Justice Reinvestment Act </a>those convicted of certain drug related crimes may seek reconsideration of their mandatory minimum sentences. The issue is explained well in this September 30, 2017&nbsp;<a href="http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/politics/bs-md-mandatory-minimum-repeal-20170926-story.html" target="_blank">Baltimore Sun excerpt</a>:</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; margin-bottom: 6px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div><blockquote class="tr_bq" style="margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Eighty-one percent of those sentenced in Maryland to a mandatory minimum between 2013 and 2014 were black, according to a report of the Justice Reinvestment Coordinating Council, a state panel that studied options for criminal justice reform.<br />“The concept that t<span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;">he system can jail its way out of a drug scourge has been shown to be a massive failure,” Maryland Public Defender Paul DeWolfe said.</span></span></blockquote><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq" style="margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;"></span>DeWolfe, whose office is expected to handle the vast majority of the motions, added that many people pleaded guilty to crimes “for fear that [they would] end up with a mandatory sentence” if they went to trial.</span></blockquote><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><blockquote class="tr_bq" style="margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Before Sunday, repeat offenders of drug dealing crimes were subject to mandatory sentences with no chance of parole: 10 years for second-time offenders, 25 years for third-time offenders and 40 years for fourth-time offenders.</span></blockquote><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq" style="margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The new law repeals those minimums, and allow those already serving them to seek shorter sentences.</span></blockquote><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq" style="margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Most of those now eligible for reconsideration — roughly 80 percent — are serving 10-year sentences, according to the public defender’s office.</span></blockquote><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><a href="https://media.licdn.com/mpr/mpr/shrinknp_200_200/AAEAAQAAAAAAAA1AAAAAJDdmMDNiY2Y0LWM5MGYtNDY5Ny04N2UxLThmZmU3ZTEwNDY3Zg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="200" height="200" src="https://media.licdn.com/mpr/mpr/shrinknp_200_200/AAEAAQAAAAAAAA1AAAAAJDdmMDNiY2Y0LWM5MGYtNDY5Ny04N2UxLThmZmU3ZTEwNDY3Zg.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>If you or a family member may be eligible for reconsideration of a mandatory minimum sentence already imposed, fill out the contact form on this page.&nbsp; Ian Valkenet may be able to help!</i></span><br /><div class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; display: inline; font-size: 14px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #1d2129; font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;"><br /></div></div></div>TCValkenethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12813312103403186309noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869915224600077029.post-80388050785266740952017-08-28T21:55:00.001-04:002017-09-02T17:47:39.591-04:00The lawyers of Young & Valkenet<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="495" scrolling="no" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FYoungValkenet%2Fphotos%2Fa.1368315766600650.1073741830.409603422471894%2F1368315833267310%2F%3Ftype%3D3&amp;width=500" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" width="500"></iframe> <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-o4FLT-5_xdA/WNrk_DB2XBI/AAAAAAAABW8/l9ysA7l_P_MEqKyHsXbNrs5GvDFvGAZNACPcBGAYYCw/s1600/av2017-rating-full%2B%25281%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="276" data-original-width="1200" height="45" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-o4FLT-5_xdA/WNrk_DB2XBI/AAAAAAAABW8/l9ysA7l_P_MEqKyHsXbNrs5GvDFvGAZNACPcBGAYYCw/s200/av2017-rating-full%2B%25281%2529.png" width="200" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /></div>TCValkenethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12813312103403186309noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869915224600077029.post-24670543562967079642017-08-24T22:16:00.002-04:002017-08-24T22:16:22.782-04:00A Declaration of future assessments is not a lien on real property<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">On August 16, 2017, Maryland's highest court decided <a href="http://mdcourts.gov/opinions/coa/2017/71a16.pdf" target="_blank">Select Portfolio&nbsp;</a><br /><a href="http://mdcourts.gov/opinions/coa/2017/71a16.pdf" target="_blank">Servicing v. Saddlebrook West Utility Company </a>, a case that centered on a long-running dispute among real estate and title lawyers- whether a developer's recorded declarations of future water and sewer charges creates a lien superior to later recorded deeds of trust.<br /><br />Yes, real estate and title lawyers are pretty nerdy.<br /><br />It is common for newly developed communities to fund creation of water and sewer facilities by periodic assessments. The future commitment of each lot owner is created and announced by written declarations that are recorded in the land records. The declarations are often recorded early in the development, often before any construction, and before the developer has sold off any lots to regular folks, like you and me.<br /><br />When you or I buy a lot from the developer we take out a loan. The bank secures it's right to get paid by recording a deed of trust in the land records. This creates a lien on the lot. The bank expects it's lien to be in the first position, so that in the event of a foreclosure it takes all the proceeds of sale needed to pay of the underlying promissory note. Liens in lower positions get paid only if there is a surplus.<br /><br />Over the years, assessments fall due to pay off the water and sewer construction costs. A portion of the assessment must be paid by me and you, as lot owners.<br /><br />A failure to pay any assessment will trigger a statement of lien, recorded in the land records, for the amount of that payment. The lien can be foreclosed for up to 12 years after recording.<br /><br />If you or I don't pay on the mortgage loan, the bank can foreclose, too.<br /><br />But what lien is in the first position, and thus entitled to get paid first out of the proceeds of a foreclosure auction and sale? Some have argued that the assessments disclosed in the developer's declarations give the lien for unpaid assessments priority over the later filed bank deed of trust. Many more have argued that the bank's lien, evidenced by the recorded deed of trust, has priority over the declarations.<br /><br />In the Select Portfolio case, both the trial court and the intermediate appellate court reached the wrong conclusion- that the water and sewer assessments trumped the later created bank lien. They reached this conclusion by treating the declaration as a "lien," rather than as notice of future charges that could result in liens.<br /><br />The highest court, the Maryland Court of Appeals, reversed the case, finding that the bank's lien has priority over the liens for assessments. The reasoning is simple, and entirely consistent with already established law.<br /><br />Quite simply, the declaration recorded by the land developer is merely notice of future assessments. But the path from declaration to bill to lien for unpaid bill must run through the Maryland Contract Lien Act. It is by recording a notice of lien according to the Act that the assessment announced &nbsp;in the declarations becomes a lien. <br /><br />It is only through the act of recording that the lien gains relative priority. &nbsp;If the notice of lien is recorded after a bank lien, then the bank has the first lien position. The road to a lien for unpaid assessments runs only through the Maryland Contract Lien Act.<br /><br />It only took the courts five years to get here. Amen.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-o4FLT-5_xdA/WNrk_DB2XBI/AAAAAAAABW8/l9ysA7l_P_MEqKyHsXbNrs5GvDFvGAZNACPcBGAYYCw/s1600/av2017-rating-full%2B%25281%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="276" data-original-width="1200" height="73" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-o4FLT-5_xdA/WNrk_DB2XBI/AAAAAAAABW8/l9ysA7l_P_MEqKyHsXbNrs5GvDFvGAZNACPcBGAYYCw/s320/av2017-rating-full%2B%25281%2529.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /></div>TCValkenethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12813312103403186309noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869915224600077029.post-5441700326879606502017-07-25T11:27:00.002-04:002017-07-25T11:27:30.750-04:00Maryland lawsuits can be a whale of a problem<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">A contract is a collection of promises. When a promise is broken, it may require court action to get the remedies you seek. We can help!<br /><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="true" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="315" scrolling="no" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FYoungValkenet%2Fvideos%2F1337671422998418%2F&amp;show_text=0&amp;width=560" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" width="560"></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-o4FLT-5_xdA/WNrk_DB2XBI/AAAAAAAABW8/l9ysA7l_P_MEqKyHsXbNrs5GvDFvGAZNACPcBGAYYCw/s1600/av2017-rating-full%2B%25281%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="276" data-original-width="1200" height="73" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-o4FLT-5_xdA/WNrk_DB2XBI/AAAAAAAABW8/l9ysA7l_P_MEqKyHsXbNrs5GvDFvGAZNACPcBGAYYCw/s320/av2017-rating-full%2B%25281%2529.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /></div>TCValkenethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12813312103403186309noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869915224600077029.post-84118226812790987872017-07-10T09:32:00.000-04:002017-07-10T09:32:43.777-04:00AVVO is not a safe place to describe your alleged crime!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">We ask all of our clients to avoid posting details about their alleged crimes on ANY social media site. The internet is completely open to the public, and that includes the prosecutors seeking to put you in jail-- They read everything.<br /><br />Below is an AVVO posting that appeared on July 8, 2017. This person is shocked that his AVVO questions made it to the criminal file maintained by the prosecutor's office. And if he admitted to bad things in those on-line postings, or perhaps shared details of the alleged crime not generally known to others, then evidence of the posting may well lead to his conviction.<br /><br />The only safe place to be completely open about criminal accusations is within the sanctity of the attorney-client relationship. But if you have already disclosed details of the alleged crime on the internet before we establish an attorney-client relationship, you may have done great damage to your potential defenses.<br /><div align="center"><br /></div><!-- end logo row--><!-- start email body --><!--pixel code--> <!--END pixel code--><!-- start email body --> <!--button--><br /><div align="center"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="border-collapse: collapse; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184; width: 600px;"> <tbody><tr style="mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;"> <td style="padding: 30.0pt 30.0pt 15.0pt 30.0pt;" valign="top"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="border-collapse: collapse; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184; width: 100%px;"> <tbody><tr style="mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;"> <td style="padding: 0in 0in 9.0pt 0in;" valign="top"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 21.0pt;"><b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: &quot;helvetica&quot; , &quot;sans-serif&quot;; font-size: 15.0pt;">My avvo questions and answers have made it to my criminal discovery in my robbery case</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: &quot;helvetica&quot; , &quot;sans-serif&quot;; font-size: 15.0pt;"><br /> </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: &quot;helvetica&quot; , &quot;sans-serif&quot;; font-size: 9.0pt;">Location: Washington, DC</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: &quot;helvetica&quot; , &quot;sans-serif&quot;; font-size: 15.0pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div></td> </tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 19.2pt;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: &quot;helvetica&quot; , &quot;sans-serif&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">how did they make it there? can they be used against me? there are some ip logs from my internet service providers and a return of service there. what does that mean? <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 19.2pt;"><br /></div></td> </tr></tbody></table></div></div>TCValkenethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12813312103403186309noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869915224600077029.post-56170227109803441562017-06-11T12:57:00.002-04:002017-07-14T13:46:51.909-04:00Your Maryland contractor cannot delegate his building code responsibilities.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0BafCyn6jFU/WIkLQM_3G7I/AAAAAAAABP4/zESg0IcDjYAdqEyd9UeoEcx3AU6ZETPFwCPcB/s1600/logo_transparent_background.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1321" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0BafCyn6jFU/WIkLQM_3G7I/AAAAAAAABP4/zESg0IcDjYAdqEyd9UeoEcx3AU6ZETPFwCPcB/s200/logo_transparent_background.png" width="165" /></a></div>Maryland's Court of Special Appeals has made clear what construction law practitioners have been arguing in the trial courts for a long time -- A general contractor or developer may not delegate its responsibility to comply with building codes to sub-contractors.<br /><br /><br />On May 31, 2017 the COSA decided <a href="http://mdcourts.gov/opinions/cosa/2017/0655s16.pdf" target="_blank">Marrick Homes v. Rutkowski</a>, an appeal from a very large money judgment by a trial court in favor of a severely injured homeowner against a general contractor. Mr. Rutkowski fell thirteen feet when a protective railing across a patio door opening failed. He broke bones and sustained a head injury. Expert witnesses explained that the wrong nails were used to secure the protective railing to the house, and that the connections failed when Mr. Rutkowski placed his weight against the railing. The railing did not comply with local building codes.<br /><br />The work was done by a subcontractor of the defendant at least seven years before, when the house was owned by someone else. Mr. Rutkowski had even been living in the house for several months before he fell.<br /><a name='more'></a><br /><br />The contractor defended by saying that the injury was too far removed in time to be related to any action by the contractor. &nbsp;It also argued that adherence to local building codes had been delegated to the subcontractor paid to install the railing.<br /><br />The appellate court upheld the trial court judgment. The obligation to comply with all applicable building codes, including those that apply to the work of sub-contractors, cannot be delegated away by the general contractor. The property owner can look only to the general contractor/developer for compliance.<br /><br />The court also reminds us that claims for personal injury arising from a contractor's or developer's negligence must be brought withing ten years under Maryland's "Statute of Repose." Once an injury is discovered, a lawsuit must be filed within three years of discovery, but in no event later than ten years from the date of the work performed by the defendant. &nbsp;In this case, the passage of seven years did not bar recovery by the plaintiff.<br /><br />For homeowners and buyers of real property, one lesson of the case is to look beyond a contractor's defense of "I gave responsibility for that work to a sub-contractor." This will not fly, and our office has obtained several judgments against bad contractors who asserted this exact defense- The sloppy or negligent contractor/developer cannot shed its responsibility to adhere to local building codes.<br /><br />For the contractors and developers, the case is also a reminder that sub-contractors selected by the should be viable and fully insured. This preserves the contractor's rights of indemnity (to recover from the sub that actually performed the bad work). In this case, the sub-contractor that installed the defective railing had gone out of business shortly after the work was performed, leaving the contractor to bear the full weight of financial responsibility for the plaintiff's injuries.<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-o4FLT-5_xdA/WNrk_DB2XBI/AAAAAAAABW8/l9ysA7l_P_M08KVRG1QRiTzI5zMVHVvhgCPcB/s1600/av2017-rating-full%2B%25281%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="276" data-original-width="1200" height="45" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-o4FLT-5_xdA/WNrk_DB2XBI/AAAAAAAABW8/l9ysA7l_P_M08KVRG1QRiTzI5zMVHVvhgCPcB/s200/av2017-rating-full%2B%25281%2529.png" width="200" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><a href="https://www.avvo.com/attorneys/21210-md-thomas-valkenet-1566301.html" rel="me" target="_blank"><svg class="avvo-badge" id="js-avvo-badge-client-choice-2017" 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class="st5" d="M69.036,164.922c0-0.264,0.2-0.428,0.6-0.492l5.377-0.782l2.41-3.874c0.136-0.293,0.311-0.44,0.525-0.44 c0.214,0,0.389,0.147,0.525,0.44l2.41,3.874l5.377,0.782c0.4,0.064,0.6,0.228,0.6,0.492c0,0.158-0.093,0.329-0.278,0.515 l-3.888,3.792l0.921,5.356c0.007,0.05,0.01,0.122,0.01,0.214c0,0.149-0.038,0.276-0.112,0.38 c-0.075,0.103-0.184,0.156-0.327,0.156c-0.136,0-0.279-0.043-0.428-0.129l-4.809-2.527l-4.809,2.527 c-0.158,0.086-0.3,0.129-0.428,0.129c-0.15,0-0.263-0.053-0.338-0.156c-0.075-0.104-0.113-0.231-0.113-0.38 c0-0.043,0.007-0.115,0.022-0.214l0.921-5.356l-3.899-3.792C69.125,165.244,69.036,165.072,69.036,164.922z"></path></g></g></g><g><path class="st2" d="M157.565,34.975c3.209,0,5.847-2.572,5.847-5.803c0-3.253-2.638-5.825-5.847-5.825 c-3.231,0-5.868,2.572-5.868,5.825C151.696,32.403,154.334,34.975,157.565,34.975 M129.694,34.931 c5.122,0,9.034-6.33,9.298-11.408h-3.781c-0.418,3.275-1.472,5.605-2.858,6.77c-0.11,0.11-0.176,0.044-0.176-0.044l-0.505-6.726 h-3.715l0.989,10.837C128.991,34.799,129.342,34.931,129.694,34.931 M141.981,34.931c5.121,0,9.034-6.33,9.297-11.408h-3.78 c-0.418,3.275-1.473,5.605-2.858,6.77c-0.11,0.11-0.176,0.044-0.176-0.044l-0.505-6.726h-3.715l0.989,10.837 C141.278,34.799,141.629,34.931,141.981,34.931 M121.342,24.556c0.11-0.11,0.219-0.088,0.219,0.044l0.33,4.418h-4.265 C118.902,27.084,120.242,25.501,121.342,24.556 M157.543,31.634c-1.297,0-2.352-1.055-2.352-2.462 c0-1.407,1.056-2.484,2.352-2.484c1.297,0,2.374,1.077,2.374,2.484C159.917,30.579,158.84,31.634,157.543,31.634 M122.331,34.865 h4.088l-1.275-14.419c-0.044-0.593-0.484-0.769-1.231-0.682c-5.056,0.616-11.298,9.012-13.43,15.101h4.11 c0.33-0.879,0.725-1.758,1.165-2.594h6.374L122.331,34.865z"></path></g><text transform="matrix(1 0 0 1 65.8555 66.2344)"><tspan class="st6 st7 st8 st9 st12" x="71" y="0">Clients’ Choice</tspan><tspan class="st6 st7 st8 st9 st12 js-avvo-badge-year" x="71" y="28">Award 2017</tspan></text></g></svg></a></div>TCValkenethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12813312103403186309noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869915224600077029.post-61254459231109116282017-04-27T17:41:00.001-04:002017-07-14T13:51:06.733-04:00Attacking a void judgment in Maryland has no time limits.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Statutes of limitations prevent successful lawsuits that are too old. For example, a lawsuit for money damages filed more than three years after a car accident is too late because the statute of limitations.<br /><br />But lawsuits don't always demand money damages. Claims can be made for injunctive relief (asking the court to stop something from happening) or for declaratory relief (asking the court to determine a legal obligation). These non-money damage claims are not restricted by statutes of limitations.<br /><br />The distinction is very important where you are attacking the validity of an old judgment entered against you. It may be that you were not properly served, that your identity was hacked, or that the process of taking a judgment against you was somehow improper or unfair. It may be years before you discover the existence of the judgment on your credit report, or perhaps when you move to a new job.<br /><a name='more'></a><br /><br />The recent case of <a href="http://www.mdcourts.gov/opinions/cosa/2017/2280s15.pdf" target="_blank">Murray v. Midland Funding</a> makes clear that your demand for a declaration that an old judgment is void or unenforceable is not subject to a three year limitation- it can be brought at any time. In language cited by the Maryland Court of Special Appeals,<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">although it is not necessary to take any steps to have a void judgment reversed or vacated, it is open to attack or impeachment in any proceeding, direct or collateral, and at any time or place, at least where the invalidity appears upon the face of the record.</blockquote>But if you want money damages for the judgment creditor's wrongful conduct in taking the judgment in the first place, you will have to deal with the statute of limitations. It is entirely possible that your claim for money damages will be too late, but you may still prevail on a declaration that the judgment is void and not enforceable. <br /><br />It is always worth the time and effort to attack an old judgment wrongly taken.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-o4FLT-5_xdA/WNrk_DB2XBI/AAAAAAAABW8/l9ysA7l_P_M08KVRG1QRiTzI5zMVHVvhgCPcB/s1600/av2017-rating-full%2B%25281%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="73" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-o4FLT-5_xdA/WNrk_DB2XBI/AAAAAAAABW8/l9ysA7l_P_M08KVRG1QRiTzI5zMVHVvhgCPcB/s320/av2017-rating-full%2B%25281%2529.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /></div>TCValkenethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12813312103403186309noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869915224600077029.post-7837160285296897022017-04-10T16:38:00.000-04:002017-07-14T13:48:31.583-04:00A lawyer's help before a deal is made in Maryland can avoid future disputes.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><iframe allowfullscreen="true" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="315" scrolling="no" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FYoungValkenet%2Fvideos%2F1232149650217263%2F&amp;show_text=0&amp;width=560" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" width="560"></iframe> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-o4FLT-5_xdA/WNrk_DB2XBI/AAAAAAAABW8/l9ysA7l_P_M08KVRG1QRiTzI5zMVHVvhgCPcB/s1600/av2017-rating-full%2B%25281%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="46" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-o4FLT-5_xdA/WNrk_DB2XBI/AAAAAAAABW8/l9ysA7l_P_M08KVRG1QRiTzI5zMVHVvhgCPcB/s200/av2017-rating-full%2B%25281%2529.png" width="200" /></a></div></div>TCValkenethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12813312103403186309noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869915224600077029.post-63829190617360643632017-03-28T18:39:00.002-04:002017-03-29T09:23:18.958-04:00Maryland subpoena rule expands to allow forced access to your land.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0BafCyn6jFU/WIkLQM_3G7I/AAAAAAAABP4/zESg0IcDjYAdqEyd9UeoEcx3AU6ZETPFwCPcB/s1600/logo_transparent_background.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0BafCyn6jFU/WIkLQM_3G7I/AAAAAAAABP4/zESg0IcDjYAdqEyd9UeoEcx3AU6ZETPFwCPcB/s200/logo_transparent_background.png" width="165" /></a></div><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif; font-size: large;">New court rules broadening the power of subpoenas have been approved by our <a href="http://www.mdcourts.gov/rules/rodocs/191ro.pdf" target="_blank">Maryland Court of Appeals</a>. Effective April 1, 2017 a Maryland litigant may obtain access to the real property of fellow litigant or third-party by issuing a discovery subpoena.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://govt.westlaw.com/mdc/Document/N645453D09CEA11DB9BCF9DAC28345A2A?viewType=FullText&amp;originationContext=documenttoc&amp;transitionType=CategoryPageItem&amp;contextData=(sc.Default)" target="_blank">Rule 2-422</a>&nbsp;allows one litigant to issue a subpoena to another litigant:&nbsp;</span><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="background-color: white; color: #212121;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif; font-size: large;">to permit entry upon designated land or other property in the possession or control of the party upon whom the request is served for the purpose of inspection, measuring, surveying, photographing, testing, or sampling the property or any designated object or operation on the property...</span></span></blockquote><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif; font-size: large;">Companion&nbsp;<a href="https://govt.westlaw.com/mdc/Document/N0E397420EE6611E6AF808584347ED4CA?viewType=FullText&amp;originationContext=documenttoc&amp;transitionType=CategoryPageItem&amp;contextData=(sc.Default)" target="_blank">Rule 2-422.1</a>&nbsp;creates the same forced rights of access over the land held by someone not a party to the court case. This rule has many more procedural requisites intended balance the interests of third-parties who are strangers to the lawsuit, and to provide leverage over those same third-parties to permit litigants access to relevant and material information.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif; font-size: large;">There are dozens of reasons to compel access over the lands of others, ranging from obvious disputes over access to questions of visibility and testing of eye witness accounts in many other types of cases. Let your imagination run wild.</span><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-o4FLT-5_xdA/WNrk_DB2XBI/AAAAAAAABW4/2FjHNTnQ1GQpjm8RZBTFqrjeQMFwVHGRgCLcB/s1600/av2017-rating-full%2B%25281%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="73" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-o4FLT-5_xdA/WNrk_DB2XBI/AAAAAAAABW4/2FjHNTnQ1GQpjm8RZBTFqrjeQMFwVHGRgCLcB/s320/av2017-rating-full%2B%25281%2529.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /></div>TCValkenethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12813312103403186309noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869915224600077029.post-31149111882377338882017-03-16T10:49:00.000-04:002017-03-16T10:49:14.620-04:00Broaden your perspective on law and the Executive Branch.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">We are sharing <a href="http://takecareblog.com/blog/announcing-take-care" target="_blank">a link to a newly published collaborative blog.</a> It is focused on law and the Executive Branch. This includes questions about legal limits on the President's exercise of authority. Multiple contributors promise a balanced view.</div>TCValkenethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12813312103403186309noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869915224600077029.post-72654217017091220422017-03-05T14:39:00.001-05:002017-03-05T14:39:28.463-05:00Password protect your production, please!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /><div class="slate-resizable-image-embed slate-image-embed__resize-right" data-imgsrc="https://media.licdn.com/mpr/mpr/AAEAAQAAAAAAAAzuAAAAJDc1ODYxMGRlLWJiY2UtNDg1ZS05OWIwLTliMzU1ZjFiZDMwNg.png" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; clear: left; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); float: left; font-family: &quot;Source Serif Pro&quot;, serif; font-size: 21px; line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; margin-top: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; transition: margin 0.223s; user-select: all; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://media.licdn.com/mpr/mpr/AAEAAQAAAAAAAAzuAAAAJDc1ODYxMGRlLWJiY2UtNDg1ZS05OWIwLTliMzU1ZjFiZDMwNg.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://media.licdn.com/mpr/mpr/AAEAAQAAAAAAAAzuAAAAJDc1ODYxMGRlLWJiY2UtNDg1ZS05OWIwLTliMzU1ZjFiZDMwNg.png" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; transition: outline 0.223s, width 0.223s; vertical-align: baseline;" width="165" /></a>Document production has always been an arduous task for lawyers. Collection and review for privileged information, followed by redaction and creation of privilege logs accounts for large chunks of time, and commensurate expense, in civil litigation. We are careful because it is important to protect our client's privileged communications and our own work-product. It would never occur to any civil litigation lawyer to simply invite access to a client's files without some prior review.</div><br /><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: &quot;Source Serif Pro&quot;, serif; font-size: 21px; line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 3.2rem; margin-top: 3.2rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But mistakes happen. Years ago, when faxed transmissions were the latest in technology, a court was asked to determine if privilege had been waived when one law firm inadvertently faxed information to all opposing law firms. Care in use of the new technology was widely counseled as a result of the case.</div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: &quot;Source Serif Pro&quot;, serif; font-size: 21px; line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 3.2rem; margin-top: 3.2rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And here we are, again.</div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: &quot;Source Serif Pro&quot;, serif; font-size: 21px; line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 3.2rem; margin-top: 3.2rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It is increasingly common in our practice to share voluminous document productions via cloud based applications, such as Box and Dropbox. The risk of not implementing the most basic password protection, let alone proper vetting before an upload, is fully on display in the February 9, 2017 decision <a href="http://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=9808757453616530692&amp;hl=en&amp;as_sdt=6&amp;as_vis=1&amp;oi=scholarr" rel="noopener nofollow" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #8c68cb; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">Harleysville Ins. Co. V. Holding Funeral Home</a>, a federal district court case out of Virginia.</div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: &quot;Source Serif Pro&quot;, serif; font-size: 21px; line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 3.2rem; margin-top: 3.2rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In connection with pretrial discovery the insurance company plaintiff uploaded privileged video files to Box.com for sharing among its own employees and a related entity. The link was not password protected and was later shared with the insurance company's lawyers who included the unprotected file in a larger production made to a lawyer for the other side, who further shared the link with other defense lawyers. The privileged nature of the cloud based files was recognized by the defense lawyers, who elected to review the files without making any disclosure to the producing party. The sharing and subsequent disclosure was inadvertent- the downloading, reading and further sharing by the opposing defense lawyers was not.</div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: &quot;Source Serif Pro&quot;, serif; font-size: 21px; line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 3.2rem; margin-top: 3.2rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The insurance company's lawyers discovered the inadvertent disclosure when the protected folder was produced in a reciprocal production by the defense. A back-and-forth ensued among counsel involving demands for return and destruction of the electronic files. The dispute triggered the insurance company's motion to disqualify the defense lawyers.</div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: &quot;Source Serif Pro&quot;, serif; font-size: 21px; line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 3.2rem; margin-top: 3.2rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A federal judge ruled that the lawyers did not have to be disqualified as their replacements would continue to have access to the inadvertently obtained files. But the court went a step further to sanction the defense lawyers for having downloaded, read and shared the clearly privileged items. Citing well known ethical obligations the court chided counsel for not having notified the insurance company's lawyers of the inadvertent disclosures. Ethically speaking, the matter should have stopped there- the material should have then been removed from circulation. But for the failure to act ethically, the court ordered payment of the insurance company's legal fees associated with the motion.</div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: &quot;Source Serif Pro&quot;, serif; font-size: 21px; line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 3.2rem; margin-top: 3.2rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Of course, the further distribution of the inadvertently produced files would have been prevented by application of password protection to the particular folder.</div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: &quot;Source Serif Pro&quot;, serif; font-size: 21px; line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 3.2rem; margin-top: 3.2rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Accidents happen, and careful lawyers make inadvertent disclosures. But even the most contentious cases are guided by ethical constraints on the unfair use of mistakenly disclosed information covered by privilege. In our own practice we recently received a large electronic production via Box.com. Notice was given by one of the other lawyers that the upload inadvertently contained privileged information. This was followed by a quick acknowledgement among all other lawyers in the case that no access would be made until the production was properly adjusted--no harm, no foul.</div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: &quot;Source Serif Pro&quot;, serif; font-size: 21px; line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 3.2rem; margin-top: 3.2rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">After thirty years of practice I take comfort in the high ethical standards of my peers, even where we disagree on the facts, law and likely outcome of a case. But there is no need to unnecessarily test the boundaries of your opponent's ethics, so set a password, please!</div><br /><div class="slate-resizable-image-embed slate-image-embed__resize-middle" data-imgsrc="https://media.licdn.com/mpr/mpr/AAEAAQAAAAAAAAmpAAAAJGFmZDJjODhmLWM3ZmQtNGFhZC1hZmQzLTkyY2QzZjZmNjhiOA.png" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: &quot;Source Serif Pro&quot;, serif; font-size: 21px; line-height: 32px; margin: 3.2rem 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-align: center; transition: margin 0.223s; user-select: all; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><ul class="slate-image-embed__toolbar" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; 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background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; height: auto; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; transition: outline 0.223s, width 0.223s; vertical-align: baseline; width: 432px;" /></div></div>TCValkenethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12813312103403186309noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869915224600077029.post-75366762297981193792017-02-20T15:33:00.002-05:002017-07-14T13:49:37.393-04:00Defense of a Maryland lawsuit requires leadership.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><iframe allowfullscreen="true" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="315" scrolling="no" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FYoungValkenet%2Fvideos%2F1184854238280138%2F&amp;show_text=0&amp;width=560" style="border: none; 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